McLaren issue apology with investigation launched into double disaster

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has issued an apology to all involved with the team - including the fans - after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix.

Due to completely unrelated electrical Mercedes power unit issues, both drivers withdrew from the race whilst sitting in their cars in the garage at the Shanghai International Circuit. For the two-time defending constructors' champions, it was a disastrous moment, and the first time in 20 years neither car started a race.

For Norris, it was the first time in his eight-season F1 career he had failed to start a grand prix; for Piastri, he has yet to complete a single lap in a grand prix this year after crashing on the reconnaissance lap of his home race in Australia last weekend.

"We came here to go racing, and today we were not in condition to do so because of technical problems," said Stella, speaking to Sky Sports F1.

"This is very frustrating and disappointing for the team, for the drivers, for our technical and commercial partners, and obviously, for our fans. So we are sorry for that. We will regroup, we will understand these technical problems, and we will go again in Japan."

The issues were bizarre as up until the points of failure, the cars had run smoothly over the weekend.

Explaining what unfolded, Stella said: "Once we were preparing Lando's car to leave the garage, we found a problem on the electrical side of the power unit. We tried to fix it, but there was no way to fix it.

"And then once we were on the grid, we found another problem on the electrical side of Oscar's power unit. They are different problems occurring for some reason at the same time, and there was no way to start the race.

"It is something that is an extremely unfortunate coincidence of two different problems on the electrical side of the power unit appearing at the same time.

"But that's what it is. We go as one team. We will investigate together with HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains], and we will see what's the learning, and we will make sure this doesn't happen again."

Regarding the investigation and the delivery of the cars to Suzuka for the next race in Japan in a fortnight, Stella concluded: "This will depend on the findings.

"Certainly, the parts that were at fault will go back to HPP, and they will be investigated. We will approach this as one team. We will take the learning, we will fix it, and we'll go again."